Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
13-2 (3-1B1G)
Michigan State
8-8 (0-5B1G)
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan State | 29 | 41 | 70 |
| Northwestern | 44 | 33 | 77 |
Team Stats
Game Leaders
Players Mentioned
Northwestern's Balanced Attack Beats Spartans, 77-70
1/11/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
EVANSTON, Ill. -- All five of Northwestern's starters scored in double figures as the Wildcats toppled Michigan State Sunday, 77-70, to complete a season sweep of the Spartans for the first time since 1993.
The Wildcats shot 47 percent (31-of-66) from the field in victory and 85.7 percent (12-of-14) from the charity stripe. After struggling form downtown last time out against Ohio State, the 'Cats changed course and connected at a clip of 47.1 percent (8-of-17) from beyond the arc Sunday. Further, Northwestern assisted on 77.4 percent of its made baskets (24-on-31).
The Wildcats led by as many as 20 points in the second matchup of the season between the two teams, but they saw that cushion dwindle to two points with 1:43 left in regulation. Nursing a 70-68 lead, Northwestern's Christen Inman scored on back-to-back possessions with a steal sandwiched in between to help the home team go ahead, 74-68.
Michigan State's Tori Jankoska knifed through Northwestern's defense for a layup the next time down the floor to pull back to within four. Following a 30-second timeout, and with about 40 seconds on the clock, NU sharpshooter Maggie Lyon delivered the dagger with her third 3-pointer of the day to put the Wildcats ahead, 77-70, a lead they would milk for the rest of game.
Chicago's Big Ten Team built a 15-point lead at halftime largely on the strength of a 20-0 run it orchestrated during the the opening stanza. After falling behind 14-5 to start the game, NU ripped off 20 unanswered points over the span of 5:53 to turn a nine-point deficit into an 11-point lead with 8:58 to go in the first half. The Wildcats would never trail after Lyon converted a runner off the glass with 11:54 remaining in the opening period.
Northwestern's lengthy first-half run was ignited by sophomore Ashley Deary. The point guard scored the first eight points all by herself, setting up Lyon's go-ahead basket. She finished with 11 of her team's 20 points during that span, while Lyon had five and Nia Coffey and Lauren Douglas had two apiece.
Deary's jumper with a shade over a minute to play in the half gave NU an 18-point edge, its largest of the day to that point. She finished the opening half with 16 points, four assists and a pair of rebounds as her team led at the break, 44-29.
Northwestern expanded its lead to 20 points with 12:25 remaining in the game after Coffey netted two of her 12 points off an assist by Lyon. A quick 9-0 run by the Spartans, however, pulled them to within 11 points before Douglas stopped the bleeding with a pretty reverse layup at the 10:06 mark.
Michigan State continued to chip away, however, and the visitors trailed by only four with 3:20 to play after Aerial Powers poured in two of her game-high 24 points. After a miss, Northwestern corralled one of its 11 offensive rebounds and senior point guard Karly Roser found her classmate Alex Cohen, who knocked down one of her three triples on the day to bring the lead back up to seven points with just under three to go.
With her team down by five, Jankoska drew a foul on a 3-point attempt and made all three free throws to make it just a two-point deficit for the Spartans with 1:43 to go. Eleven seconds later scored the first of those crucial back-to-back layups to help the Wildcats withstand the Spartans' best effort.
Deary finished with 18 points and a and season-high 10 assists to record the second double-double of her young career. The Flower Mound, Texas, native had six of those 10 helpers while not committing a turnover during the second half in which she played 16 minutes. She shot the ball at a clip of 88 percent (7-of-8), while making both of her 3-point attempts. She also added four rebounds and a steal.
Lyon finished with 15 points and a team-best seven rebounds, while Cohen and Inman both finished with 14 points Sunday. Coffey had 12 to go along with five rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks. It was the fourth time this season that at least five players scored in double figures for Northwestern. They have now done so twice in Big Ten play having also accomplished the feat on New Year's Day against Wisconsin.
The Wildcats made the most of their second chances against the Spartans. Northwestern outscored MSU 13-4 in second-chance points after collecting those 11 offensive rebounds. After being out-rebounded during the first tilt in East Lansing, 51-39, the 'Cats controlled the glass at home and won the battle of the boards, 34-33.
With Sunday's win, the Wildcats swept the season series against the Spartans for the first time since the 1993 season.
Northwestern head coach Joe McKeown and his squad will the road for their next game on Wednesday, Jan. 14. The Wildcats will venture to Iowa City, Iowa, where they will face the Hawkeyes at 7 p.m. NU is 5-2 in true road games this season and 1-1 in Big Ten play.
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